Kids Count Report: Michigan ranks 32nd in overall child well-being

Kids Count Report: Michigan ranks 32nd in overall child well-being

LANSING, Mich. — While Michigan is showing some improvement when it comes to the health and well-being of children, it still lags behind the majority of the rest of the states. That’s according to the 25th annual KIDS COUNT Report, produced by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

In the rankings for overall well-being of children, Michigan ranks 32 in the 2014 report. That is down a position from last year.

“As we mark 25 years of tracking child well-being, it’s heartening to know that we’ve made progress in some key areas, and it’s clear that good public policy made a difference,” said Gilda Z. Jacobs, president & CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy, the Michigan partner for KIDS COUNT. “Michigan’s overall ranking, however, puts us in the bottom half of the country, and this is not acceptable. We must redouble our efforts to make Michigan a great place to raise a child.”

The MLPP then goes on to make recommendations to improve the state’s ranking, including restoring education funding that was cut decades ago, and increase child care payments to help working parents.

For a complete, detailed overview of Michigan’s performance in the latest KIDS COUNT report, click here.